National Psoriasis Victor Henschel BioBank

The National Psoriasis Victor Henschel BioBank, established in 2006, is a collection of biological samples and clinical information used by qualified scientists to advance the field of psoriatic disease genetics. It is one of the largest collections of psoriatic disease DNA samples in the United States, moving scientists closer to learning the causes of psoriatic disease, discovering new treatments and finding a cure. To date, the BioBank includes samples from about 1,500 people with psoriatic disease and almost 1,500 people without psoriatic disease.

In 2010, the National Psoriasis Foundation began releasing BioBank samples to researchers investigating the genetics of psoriatic disease. Read more about research studies using BioBank samples below.

New genetic risk factors

In 2012, researchers published results from a study using multiple collections of psoriasis DNA, including samples from the National Psoriasis Victor Henschel BioBank. The study, published in Nature Genetics, identified 15 areas of DNA, known as loci, that contain genetic variations associated with psoriatic disease. The study also found that some of these loci overlap with loci associated with Crohn's disease and celiac disease. In May 2015, researchers published results from additional genetic studies using the BioBank, identifying five additional psoriasis risk loci. The results were published in Nature Communications.

Mutation in CARD14 gene

Researchers used National Psoriasis Victor Henschel BioBank samples to uncover a rare mutation in the CARD14 gene that, when activated by an environmental trigger, can result in psoriasis. The findings were published in two papers appearing in The American Journal of Human Genetics in 2012.

Ethnic variation in psoriatic disease risk

An international study using National Psoriasis Victor Henschel BioBank samples as well as psoriatic disease samples from biobanks around the world identified differences in genetic risk factors for psoriatic disease between people of Chinese and Caucasian ancestry. Researchers also identified four new areas of DNA, known as loci, that contain genetic variations associated with psoriatic disease. The findings were published in Nature Communications in 2015.

Are you a scientist interested in using BioBank samples in your research?